Wichita eagle., 1887-08-10
FAMILIES ABOUT EUROPE.
From England to Egypt Especially for
the Eagle.
NO. XVI,

from England 10 ESyPI Especially ioi
the Eagle.
NO. XVI.
WIEsBADEN. Germany, July "a, 81.
The city of Brussels from whence /
wrote you last is about one hours journey
by rail from Antwerp. 1t is the capital of
Belgium and has population of four
hundred thousand. We remained here a
portion of four days, but if we had con-
suited our own inclination would have
prolonged our stay week or two. have
never been in as handsome city-the con-
trast to London in wide boulevards, beau
tiful residences and extensive shops or
stores being very favorable to this inland
city. The public buildings, too, are mar
wells of beauty, magnifcence and convent
ence, mostly of modern construction but OF
such elegance of design, both externally
and internally, as to engage the attention
fully as much as those erected In medieval
ages. The Hotel de Vile or city hall is an
extensive white stone building erected be-
tween the years 1902 and 1443, with a
spire $40 feet high, topped by colossal
statue of St. Michael The tapestries
here are the finest we have yet
seen, and by their rich warm hues
distinctness of Contour and faithful repre-
sentation of character and expression scarce
ly surpassed by the best oil paintings,
shows to what a state of perfection this
glorious art Of bygone period had
reached, fostered as it has been, by both
church and state, for without the encour-
egement of either or both, none of the old
masters l apprehend, would have had their
genious so fully recognized by the world,
nor would it have been possible in the days
in which thay lived to prosecute their
noble vocation, without the aid and en-
couragement of these two great and power
full benefactors. We were conducted into
the elegant banqueting hall of this superb
edifice, the same in which the Duchess of
Richmond gave the grand ball Ito which
Thackeray in Vanity Fair" and Charles
Lever in Charles o. Malley" each de-
votes such an interesting chapter the
night before the battle of Waterloo, and at
which the Duke of Wellington was a
guest From here we passed into the Of
fetal chamber of Burgomeister or
mayor of Brussels, and found our
selves just in the nick of time to
witness the civil right of marriage per-
formed. by his excellency, in full uniform,
assisted by other officials and supported by
four of the kings soldiers with muskets
We remained only long enough to see the
nupial knot tied between two couples, for
their were others present with their parents
and friends who were only waiting their
turn to occupy the silken cushions. upon
which none sat except those who had been
elected to tread lifc's pathway of roses and
thorns together.
Opposite to the Hotel de Vile is the
"Maison du Roe" built by Charles V in
1925. Here in front of the building, which
we did not enter, the Count Egemont and
Horne suffered decapitation in the Sixteenth
century.
In the square of which the two last
named buildings formed a part, were held
tournaments in the Fifteenth century, and
many of the houses, which are old but in
good preservation, were built and occupied
by various guilds and corporations more
than 300 years ago. We next proceeded
to the Palias De La Nation, built by order
of Empress Maria Theresa of Olestred in
1888, mostly destroyed by fire in 1888,
since rebuilt in greater magnificence
1t is used as the capital building for SEES
sions of the senate and house of representa-
tive. The stairways are broad and of fine
marble The halls and vestibules, as well
as doors and ceilings of same, of dazzling
Wilderness and the doors, ten feet in height
of solid mahogany. The senate chamber
is decidedly the most complete, appropriate
and elegant room of this special character
within my knowledge 1t is not large butsuf-
ficiently so to meet all the requirements of a
country not more than half as large as Kan
sas, though possessing five millions of people.
The members sit in semi circle facing the
presiding officer. The chairs are luxur-
ious, upholstered in red plush, and the
desks are models of the cabinet makers
skill. The panels in the back ground of
the semi circular wall, are imbellished with
portraits of Kings, Queens and Emperors,
who have figured conspicuously in the
history of the netherlands since the days
of Charles Mango. In the fore ground or
above the presidents platform as well as to
the right and left are fine paintings of a
historical character. The gallery likewise
semi circular is supported by marble
columns and contains boxes for
royalty, ambassadors and visitors,
and as regards comfort and
elegance contrasts UNNECESSARILY with
either chamber in Westminster At the
time of our visit the lower house was In
session and but one of our party gained
admittance The other nineteen are conf
dent that he freely administered taffy,
when lingering in the rear, to the Belgian
beauty who seemed to run things here.
We missed him whilst inspecting some fine
tapestries in the smoking room of the SEN
ate and when we had Just about concluded